Windshield wipers are an important safety feature in automobiles, trucks, buses, trains, and any other vehicle that includes an windshield and is subject to rain, snow, ice, insects, tree sap, dirt, mud, and the like. Windshield wipers typically include a longitudinal frame and one or more flexible squeegees running along the length of the frame. The frame is usually held by a motorized arm that sweeps the wiper across the windshield with the squeegee in contact with the windshield surface in order to sweep away rain, snow, and other debris so that the driver has a clear view in front of their vehicle.
Many vehicles also include a mechanism for providing cleaning fluid to the windshield. When the windshield becomes dirty, the driver causes cleaning fluid to be projected onto the windshield, and the wipers mechanically assist in the cleaning action. Cleaning fluid may be provided from a nozzle on or near the hood of the vehicle, or otherwise in proximity to the outside windshield surface. Or, some vehicles and after-market kits make it possible to provide cleaning fluid directly through the windshield wiper frame. In this way, the cleaning fluid is deposited directly to the windshield, and is less likely to be blown away from the vehicle by wind when the vehicle is moving, and is also advantageously distributed more widely across the windshield surface as the wipers sweep.
However, even with today's windshield wipers, ice, dirt, insects and other debris can collect on the windshield despite the sweeping action of the windshield wiper, obscuring the driver's view. As a result, drivers occasionally are required to stop their vehicle, and clean stubborn debris from the windshield, in order to improve visibility through the windshield.
Additionally, although some modern windshield wipers take advantage of aerodynamics in order to maintain contact between the windshield surface and the wiper blades, they do not take advantage of the wind available at moderate to high vehicle speeds to assist in the distribution of cleaning fluids and the removal of liquids from the windshield surface.
The invention described herein provides an improved windshield wiper that more effectively removes solid and liquid debris from the windshield, allowing for improved visibility, and thereby increased safety.